Glacier Skywalk by Sturgess Architecture in Canada
- Words
- Caroline Kurze
The Glacier Skywalk by Sturgess Architecture is a 450-metre interpretive walk carved and folded into the mountainous landscape of Jasper National Park in the Canadian Rockies.
The cor-ten steel and glass walkway is based on the concept of cropping out from the landscape, creating an experience of a natural extension of the land. The parabola cantilever, with a glass floor of tempered and heat-strengthened glass, reveals an unobstructed view below.
The cantilever is the result of an engineering technique taking advantage of a balance formed by opposing tension and compression members and thereby eliminating the need for a more traditional superstructure of pylons and cables above the outlook. Cor-ten steel was selected for its weathering properties and the relationship to the changing mountain face that it represents.
All images © Robert Lemermeyer